It was back in early October when Ondrej Kudela, an experienced defender and Czech Republic international, attempted to put into words what it is actually like to confront Achraf Hakimi in full flight. Kudela, like his team-mates, had been left scorched by the whole sorry experience. There was absolutely no chance of catching him. Plenty of fellow full-backs and centre-halves who have been left gasping in pursuit of Hakimi, his No 5 shirt forever powering further out of range, would empathise with that nightmarish feeling of hopelessness endured by Kudela that night.
The year-old has rampaged through more impressive teams than Slavia, too. At his best, he can feel unstoppable: a force of nature whose rise to prominence has been charted forensically by elite clubs from the Premier League , Serie A and Bundesliga. Not to mention Real Madrid , his parent club back in Spain. Chelsea have been long-standing admirers while Tottenham Hotspur , back when Mauricio Pochettino was in place and influencing their transfer policy, had salivated at the possibility of luring him to London once his deal at Borussia had concluded.
Paris Saint-Germain made enquiries last year and Juventus have tracked his progress. Logic suggests they will be met with stern resistance. Not that it is actually that outlandish to suggest the Getafe-born full-back-cum-winger could depart the Bernabeu.
Everything will hinge on the pathway to first-team involvement. After two years of regular game-time, and rapid development, in Germany this is a player who would be reluctant to play second fiddle to a team-mate, whether that be Dani Carvajal or Ferland Mendy on either flank. Real will not be welcoming back a rookie when the loan expires. Maybe the focus has been drawn more towards the rise of Trent Alexander-Arnold on Merseyside or Alphonso Davies in Munich, but everything Hakimi has achieved in Westphalia has been startling.
So what is all the fuss about? Well, it is born of the reality that Hakimi appears to have everything. He stands a shade under 6ft and, during the barnstorming draw with RB Leipzig earlier this season, was clocked at He seems to know instinctively when to join in the attack, and appears from nowhere. The basic numbers establish his reputation: no other player classed as a defender can match his rate of assists 0. He is a natural dribbler, ever eager to singe past a marker with the ball glued to his instep into attacking areas, particularly at the far post, from where he so regularly supplies those loitering in the six-yard box.
